Homeless youths face struggles. Here’s one couple’s story
Had it not been for California Heritage YouthBuild Academy, Caryn, a 21-year-old transitional housing resident at Lutheran Social Services, could be homeless today.
She sat beside her 19-year-old boyfriend and watched their 2-year-old daughter scurry across the LSS office as she recounted how she ended up in a transitional housing facility for youths between the ages of 18 to 24.
“My parents were never in the picture. I lived with my grandparents. My parents always chose drugs over their kids,” Caryn said, fighting back tears in between long moments of silence.
The number of homeless minors in Shasta County has swelled over the years and while the education system offers some support to this demographic, it is constrained by obstacles and limited community resources to successfully address the whole issue. Moreover, because of red tape surrounding working with homeless minors, organizations in the community struggle to support these youths…
